University funding/finances

University faces criticism for ‘property developer’ strategy in wake of Oxford’s £750 million issuing

With the consultation now closed, Philip Augar’s review of English post-18 education must begin the hard work of devising substantial but cost-effective proposals, says Andy Westwood 

NAO says government’s oversight of organisation is ‘not up to date and lacks clarity’

Universities and sector experts welcome opposition pledge as boost for students and labour market

Employers make final offer for 2018-19

Nordic country’s higher education system punches above its weight in Universitas 21 ranking

Teaching grant allocations by OfS reveal losers from £30 million drop in funding to aid retention

The demands of the job take their toll, but rigorous application of the smell test can limit the damage, say Stephen Joel Trachtenberg and Francine Trachtenberg

Humanities subjects set to be hardest hit by restructure

Regional students and research facilities claim the spoils in a benign budget for universities

Reduction in graduate numbers to hit economic growth and tax revenues, says pre-budget modelling

Government says new student debt figures strengthen the case for change

Theresa May’s call for price competition rejected by sector across the board

Whichever parties form the new Italian government, higher education and research are unlikely to be priorities, says Davide Donina

As Malaysian politicians flirt with fee-free higher education, our Asia-Pacific editor John Ross, reflects on how promises of free tuition are often at the detriment of more useful policy

Universities in the former East Germany are now on a par with those of western Europe while others in the former Soviet bloc still lag. David Matthews visits Poland to explore why

Land-grant university’s seven-year tuition freeze under former Republican governor means out-of-state recruitment drive

Combining egalitarian access, prized vocational education and elite research universities, the ‘Swiss paradox’ may offer international lessons

Ten years into the programme, German universities remain focused on traditional markers of success, say Andreas Knie and Dagmar Simon

Trade unions asking for a 7.5 per cent uplift or an extra £1,500, whichever is greater

University strategising in the days before JoJo, BoJo and Brexit was more back-patting than visionary, but what universities need now is a plan for survival, says John Cater 

Cost pressures rule out a resumption of uncapped system as we know it, former top bureaucrat says

The protests against pensions reforms reflect not just self-interest but also anger about working conditions and a sense that universities are losing their way. Jack Grove explores how proposed changes to the USS strained and broke bonds of trust

History shows that the Belt and Road initiative will be successful only if it boosts human capital, as well as physical infrastructure, says Alan Ruby

Academic gatherings may be fun, but they do little to advance knowledge. To justify the public spending that supports them, such events must do more to provide benefits to those who don’t attend, argues Nicholas Rowe

Seoul pulls funding from Johns Hopkins centre, sparking row over interference

Latest data from the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey show University of London was biggest provider in terms of course days

Universities need to raise funds from potentially mercurial financial markets without losing sight of their long-term missions. It’s a delicate balance

Universities should emulate the private sector in a positive way by eliminating costly duplication, says a worker in professional services

Converting the USS into a defined contributions scheme could give younger academics a bigger pension pot, argues David Voas 

Universities on both sides of the Atlantic are building up big debts, but is it prudent to bet on student numbers growing and super-low interest rates and high fees enduring? David Matthews examines the glut of recent bond issues, and how money makes money for the elite

Higher education finance report says states must redress balance of public university funding

Impact of change in school starting age leaves Queensland institutions unable to insulate themselves against budget standstill

Experts question whether 60 universities granted special status will face budget cuts or be free from interference

Delay and unpredictability of spending bill raises questions over the ‘effectiveness’ of increased investment, say policy experts

Providers fear funding changes could impede disadvantaged Australians’ road to university

Qualified actuary and academic Nick Foster says the case for university pension reform cannot be ignored despite a brilliant anti-cuts PR campaign

Parliamentary debate on proposal to limit learners’ lifetime borrowing deferred for at least six weeks

A Senate showdown looms on the government’s proposal to trim ballooning student debt

University finances artificially inflated by government’s failed attempt to cut funding earlier this decade

Policymakers in the US and the UK advise against abolishing fees in light of lessons from gratuidad programme

Hefce report shows English universities have been charging more as recruitment stalls 

New South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s first budget confirmed funding for hundreds of thousands of students to be exempted from tuition fees, writes Martin Hall 

Lord Willetts warns mooted reforms of student finance system could backfire politically

Demonstrations opposing ‘biggest cut’ to higher education funding planned in five major cities

Protests by West Ham fans have striking similarities with the unrest sparked among academics by proposed pension cuts, says Richard Watermeyer

Announcements are part of wider initiative to increase number of training places by 1,500 over three years

Opposition of Labor and Greens means that measure proposed in December's mid-year budget update is unlikely to pass

Middle Eastern country has the resources to ‘invest appropriately’ in universities, says UCL head

Students’ union says major report suggests that humanities degrees are ‘not worthwhile’

Institutions in many states are facing large funding cuts, although some have received a boost in income

Unprecedented spending on university estates are transforming campuses and cities more generally, explain the authors of a new book on contemporary design in higher education

Survey of more than 5,000 students fuels debate about cross-subsidies in English higher education

Hepi report warns that surge in youth population and higher participation will add to government’s funding headache in England 

To survive, UK universities must think far beyond educational products and their own narrow institutional interests, says Mike Boxall

The Republic of Ireland’s embrace of differentiated national missions for institutions offers international lessons, says Ellen Hazelkorn

The Pensions Regulator, not universities, is the driving force behind proposed cuts due to its nonsensical approach to discount rates, argue David Bailey and John Clancy

Academic sleuths have used investigative skills and Twitter to tell the real story behind proposed pension cuts, says Sherrill Stroschein

Universities anticipate much greater scrutiny of teaching outcomes, potentially even ‘peer review’ of lectures

Former president warns that scrapping fees will lead to high dropout rates and challenges of capacity